#ConnectWithSmithRock Project

The goal of this project was to create a mixed-media painting to inform, inspire and give back to the Smith Rock community. On April 30th, 2016 the original painting sold for $2,500! All of the money was donated to the Smith Rock Group, a non-profit responsible for park projects and improvements. To make the story even sweeter, the painting was bought by the owners of Redpoint Climbers Supply and will be displayed at the store where the community can continue to enjoy and interact with it for years to come.

On the Calendar Recap

January-The Boise celebration January 7th at Urban Ascent was a great success! We had about 50 people attend, sold a dozen prints, raised almost $200 for Smith Rock State park and I can't recall a time I have felt so supported and stoked! Thank you everyone who was able to attend and thank you to those who were sending good vibes from home and across the country. -Prints are available on Etsy and a portion of the proceeds will continue to be donated back to the park. -The painting traveled to Oregon and was displayed at Redpoint Climbers Supply in Terrebonne at the end of the month.

February-The painting was available to view at Redpoint Climbers Supply. -My first Limited Edition Giclee print was available at the silent auction for the AAC's Annual Dinner Fundraiser.

March-The online auction for the painting launched at the beginning of the month and was open until April 23rd. http://connectwithsmithrock.com/-March 4th and 5th: The Patagonia store and staff in Bend are amazing! It was the perfect place for me to display the painting for the First Friday Art Walk and present the time lapse video. I was thrilled at the turnout both evenings, received a wealth of wonderful feedback, and walked away optimistic and excited about the future life of the Connect With Smith Rock painting.

April-The auction closed on the 23rd with the final bid at $950.-The painting was sold for $2,500 at the Smith Rock Spring Thing on April 30th.

Here's the time lapse video showing the process!

How the Connect With Smith Rock Project Started

My two most prolific passions are climbing and art. I have the big dream to combine the two to promote state and national park awareness, aid in their conservation, and connect more people to their parks and resources. I also want to give back to the parks that have supported and fostered my growth as an artist and a climber. And thanks to the American Alpine Club and the Live Your Dream Grant I get to do just that!

Specifically my goal for this project was to give everyone who visited Smith Rock the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves. Everyone from the dirtbag climber, to the weekend warrior, to the wheelchair-bound person, could share their park story and photos by using the hashtag #ConnectWithSmithRock. Check out the live stream of the most recent images below!

The final piece is a 4 x 8 triptych mixed-media painting similar to my Traveling Mountainspiece, highlighting both the people and the place that define Smith Rock State Park. The final piece will be finished by the end of 2015 and will then be on display in Redpointfor several months before it is sold and 100% of the proceeds will then go back to the park.

If you would like to participate in the project, please come out to one of the kickoff events and say hi. Or if you can't make it, stop by Redpoint and share your experience on Instagram using the hashtag #ConnectWithSmithRock.

For more information and updates continue to check back and follow along with the blog posts below.